CENTERVILLE, Texas (KRHD) — In rural Leon County, emergency responders are facing a dangerous challenge - finding homes without clearly visible addresses, potentially delaying life-saving care.
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Centerville Firefighter EMT Colton Adams has experienced this problem firsthand.
"Obviously nobody wants to call an ambulance. Nobody wants to call the fire department, but that one time you need it. Yeah, we have to be able to find you," he said.
In emergencies, every second counts, which means first responders need to be able to find you quickly.
But in rural areas of Leon County, many homes simply aren't marked clearly enough for emergency personnel to locate them efficiently.
"There are multiple occasions where different units cannot find addresses. They spend 10 to 20 minutes driving back and forth trying to locate the proper address," Adams said.
To demonstrate how widespread this issue is, Adams took 15 ABC on a ride-along through the county, pointing out numerous examples of inadequate address markers.
"There's 3 different mailboxes right there. One of which in the middle is made with the numbers are printed on in magic marker. The one on the right, you can't read those numbers, it's so faded from the stickers. And then the one on the left, it's missing a sticker."
"So I don't know other than that middle address, I don't know what the other two are back on this private road," Adams said.
During our drive, Adams pointed out another problematic example.
"This one looks like it's faded. No, it's not. It's written in magic marker, but I got to slow way down to be able to read that and probably at nighttime I'm not gonna be able to read that," he said.
Those lost minutes searching for addresses can have devastating consequences.
When asked how crucial these delays can be, Adams was direct: "Life or death. Time is precious. I mean, that's everything right there."
Adams tells 15 ABC that most emergency management offices across Texas offer reflective address signs for $20 or less. He urges residents to make this simple investment—not just to help first responders, but to protect themselves and their loved ones.
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